Safety secondary closure

ABSTRACT

A primary closure is provided with a child-safe secondary closure or over-cap sealing member hinged to the top of the primary closure body. When hinged down over a spout or outlet into a sealing position, the secondary closure or overcap and the primary closure are interlocked by means of two latch elements that are so arranged as to be accessible for release only by an adult.

United States Patent 1191 [111 asnnoe 7/1974 Stull 215/9 Fields 1 Mar. 25, 1975 SAFETY SECONDARY CLOSURE [76] Inventor: Mack Robert Fields, 1624-2 Lake F H- Tollbe'g Dr Clearwater Fla 33516 Attorney, Agent, or Fzrm-Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & McCord [22] Filed: Nov. 15, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 416,003 ABSTRACT A primary closure is provided with a child-safe secon- 52 us. Cl. 222 153 dary closure or Over-cap sealing member hinged to lSli Int. Cl.... 867d 5/32 top of the primary closure body- When hinged down [58] Field of Search 222/153 556- 215/9 Over a Spout Outlet into a sealing POSitiOH, the ondary closure or overcap and the primary closure are [56] References Cited interlocked by means of two latch elements that are so UNITED STATES PATENTS arranged as to be accessible for release only by an adult. 3,786,964 1/1974 Landen 222/153 3,826,394 8 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures ll SAFETY SECONDARY CLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to the closure field and more particularly to the child-safe secondary closure field wherein there is provided a structure for substantially preventing children from opening the secondary closure for the dispensing spout.

2. Description of the Prior Art For many years manufacturers have been packaging their products in plastic containers. The products include liquid detergents, medicaments, poisons, such as drain cleaners, and the like; The primary closures usually have incorporated therein one of several different types of secondary closure or spout shut-off arrangements. The tendency in the past has been to make the secondary or spout shut-off arrangement as simple to operate as possible. As a result, many children suffered varying degrees of injury, including death, when they opened the spout shut-off and drank or spilled onto themselves the contents of the container.

Legislation has been passed making it mandatory to provide all containers that are used to store certain classifications of materials, such as medicaments, detergents, chemicals and the like, with a closure that is considered child-proof within the definitions of the regulations. As a result of the regulations, many primary closures have been adopted which have secondary closures that are considered to be child-proof but it develops that they are so child-proof that many enfeebled or weak older people are not able to manipulate the elements of the secondary closure and as a result are unable to get to their medication with dire results.

One of the current devices requires that one element be depressed while another element is rotated relative to the depressed element. Another current device requires that mating portions of the two elements be aligned whereupon one can be depressed and turned relative to the other for removal. All in all, there is still no relatively simple safety secondary closure arrangement that meets the tests qualifying it as child-proof and is still operable by an old, weak or sick person.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The spout on the primary'closure of a bottle or container is sealed by means of a secondary or over-cap closure member pivoted to the top of the primary closure with a plug on the inside surface of the over-cap member seating in the spout to seal the contents of the bottle or container. The overcap has a pair of spaced apart spring-like members projecting generally outward from the overcap and into resilient engagement with latch portions formed on a pair of upstanding spaced apart posts carried by the closure. The overcap has a short finger tab extending between said springlike members andprojecting in the direction of said spring-like members but not extending outwardly as far as said spring-like members. To open the secondary closure, both spring-like members must be simultaneously depressed to unlatch them from the posts whereupon application of' a force tending to pivot the overcap about its hinged end will open the spout. Childrens fingers are not developed enough to be able to simultaneously unlatch both spring-like members and therefore they cannot pivot the overcap intoan open condition. Accordingly, the spacing of the spring-like members is important and is such that a child thumb or finger will not bridge the space between the spring-like members where an adult thumb or finger will.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The details of construction and operation of the invention are more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the child-proof overcap latching structure of the improved secondary closure on a primary closure;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the secondary closure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the secondary closure of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an action view of the secondary closure of FIG. 3 with the latching structure disengaged;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 2 only with the overcap pivoted out of spout closing position;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7 only showing a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention; and,

FIG. 10 is an actual size from view of the closure and the safety latch arrangement.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring in particular to FIGS. 1-6 and 8, inclusive, a primary closure 10 is illustrated as having a collar or skirt portion 12 integrally joined to a transversely disposed top wall 14 to which the secondary closure or overcap 16 is hingedly connected by means of the hinge membrance 18. The top wall 14 has a centrally disposed outlet spout 20 with an opening 22 passing axially therethrough into communication with the inside of a container or bottle, not shown. The container or bottle may be formed integral with the skirt 12 or may be attached to the skirt by threading, or other appropriate means. Upwardly extending from the top wall 14 and concentrically spaced from said spout 20 is a collar segment 26 which extends slightly more than half-way around said spout on the hinge side of said spout.

The secondary closure or overcap 16 has a generally semicircular top portion 28 with a laterally extending overhanging finger tab 30 coplanar therewith and projecting from the central portion thereof. A central plug 32 projects downward from said top portion 28 and has a downwardly extending collar 34 concentrically disposed and spaced therefrom. A semicircular concentric collar 36 is formed around the outer edge of said top collar 36 seats against the collar 26 on the top wall 14 of the closure to generally center and stabilize the secondary closure or overcap 16 relative to the primary closure so that the plug 32 and collar 34 will align with and seat in and around the spout 20. To open the secondary closure or overcap 16, a finger or thumb is placed underneath the tap 30 and sufficient pressure is I applied away from the top wall 14 to separate the plug 32 from the spout 20.

To make the secondary closure 16 child-proof or safe for sale to the general public as falling within the regulations requiring safety closures on any container that contains potentially dangerous materials, a safety latching arrangement is provided; The safety latch includes a pair of spaced apart relatively rigid posts 38 upstanding from and joined to the collar or skirt portion 12. Each post 38 has a laterally projecting lug 40 with an overhanging face portion 42 lying substantially parallel to and facing the top wall 14. To facilitate molding the lugs 40 on the posts 38 of the primary closure 10, a pair of flutes=or slots 43 are formed in the skirt portion 12 beneath the projecting lugs 40 so that aretractable core pin, not shown, can be used during molding the closure. The upper portion of the lugs 40 have tapered guide surfaces 44 angled generally toward the closure top wall. On each side of the tab 30 of the semicircular top wall 28 is integrally formed an arcuately shaped spring-like member 46 having near the free end 47 of each member 46 an outwardly extending catch 48 having a'flattop surface 50 and a tapered lower surface 52. The taper 52 is angled toward the general center portion of the top wall 14. The catch 48 has an immediately adjacent wall 54 which is generally in the same plane as the side wall of the arcuate shaped spring-like members 46. The spring-like members 46 are spaced slightly sidewardly from the tab 30 and the free ends 47 of said members 46 project horizontally beyond the outermost edge 56 of the tab 30 so that in effect the members 46 shield or protect the tab 30 from ready contact.

In use, the secondary closure or overcap 16 is pivoted about the hinge 18into a closing position with the plug 32 and collar 34 aligned with the spout 20 and with the tapered surfaces 52 of the catches 48 aligned with or in contact with the. tapered guide surfaces 44 of the lugs 40 on the posts 38. Pressure on the overcap 16 toward the container 24 will cam the tapered surfaces relative to each other until the catches 48 snap past the lugs 40 and nest in latched relationship to each other. Upward pressure on the tab 30 will not open the secondary closure 16 due to the latching relationship between the posts 38 and the spring-like members 46. A child having thin, small fingers and thumbs will attempt to open the overcap by putting a thumb or finger under the tab 30 and pressing upward which will not open the closure.

The spring-like members 46 are spaced apart an amount sufficient to permit an adult to place a thumb or finger in overlapping relationship with both springlike members 46 such that pressure by the adult thumb or finger in contact with both spring-like members 46 will depress said members and release the catches 48 from the lugs 40 whereupon upward pressure on the tab 30 by the thumb or finger will open the secondary closure. The key to opening the secondary closure is the requirement that both spring-like members 46 be depressed and unlatched simultaneously from the posts 38 before the thumb can be applied under edge 56 of the tab 30 and the secondary closure or overcap 16 can be lifted. By proper dimensioning of the space between the spring-like members 46, a childs finger or thumb will not be big enough to unlatch both members 46 simultaneously and without such unlatching, the secondary closure cannot be opened. FIG. 10, which is an actual size view of the secondary closure, has a gap or spacing G between the spring-like members 46 of 15/32 of an inch which has been found to work effectively as a child-proof or child-safe secondary closure. It should also be noted that the tab 30 has its forward edge 56 set back or recessed from the collar or skirt portion 12 so that edge 56 cannot be contacted from below except by first bringing the thumb or finger across a part of the top wall 14 into contact with the spring-like members 46. Lateral pressure on the members 46 will unlatch the catches 48 from the latches 40 permitting the thumb or finger to engage beneath the edge 56 of tab 30. The tab 30 may have the legend LIFT above the edge 56 so that with the catches unlatches the user follows the instructions and lifts the tab to open the secondary closure from the spout 20. Opening the secondary closure is so simple that it is virtually automatic with no instructions for operation being needed. An adult finger or thumb is moved laterally between the posts unlatches the catches and lifts the tab to open the spout.

FIG-8 shows a modified form of post 138 structure, that is, rather than provide the flute or slot 43 in the skirt portion 12, the skirt portion 112 has no flute and the post 138 is formed with the projecting lug positioned in such a way that the overhanging face portion 142 does not overlap the top wall 114 of the closure. The modified structure of FIG. 8 facilitates manufacture of the primary and secondary closure without necessitating breaking of the continuous surface of the skirt portion 112.

It should be recognized that the description of the locations of the lugs 40 and 140 have been related to ease and cheapness of manufacture, both of which are important in the closure industry. However, the disclosure should not be considered limited to the posts 38, 138 being attached to the skirt 12 or 112 and the lugs 40, 140 not projecting in overlapping relationship to the top walls 14, 114. The posts 38 and 138 could be formed on the top walls 14, 114 and the lugs 40, 140 may overlap the top walls 14, 114, but the cost of manufacturing the closures can be expected to be higher.

FIG. 9 shows a modified form of secondary closure or overcap 116 wherein the side skirt 136 is rounded and tapers from the top portion 128 intoalignment with the skirt 112. With the skirt 136 so shaped, there is no purchase or gripping surface for a child to grab in the process of trying to open the overcap 116. Even using teeth, there is a tendency to slide off the rounded surface so that no secure grip can be obtained for open ing the secondary closure.

I claim: 1

1. A primary safety closure having a spout carried by a wall portion integrally formed with a depending skirt portion, an overcap hinged to said wall portion and having a plug member for sealing engagement in said spout, and means for latching said overcap in said sealing engagement, said means comprising a pair of spaced apart latch portions carried by said wall portion, a pair of resilient spaced apart catch means carried by said overcap and extending into latching engagement with said latch portions, tab means on said overcap extending outwardly part way between said pair of catch means whereby to unseal said spout both of said catch means must be disengaged from said latch portions before the tab means can be urged upward with respect to said spout.

2. A safety closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said latch portions are posts extending from said wall portion with each post having an overhanging lug.

3. A safety closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each catch means comprises an arcuately shaped resilient portion connected at one end to the overcap and having projecting catch portions on the other end adapted to engage with one of said latch portions.

4. A safety closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said latch portions are spaced apart an amount too wide for a childs digit but just enough to permit an adult digit to bridge therebetween and to contact both catch portions at the same time.

5. A safety closure for a container having a spout, an overcap having a plug for sealing engagement in said spout, said overcap being hingedly carried by said container adjacent said spout, and means for latching said overcap in said sealing engagement, said means comprising a pair of spaced apart projecting latch portions carried by said container, a pair of spaced apart catch means carried by said overcap and extending into latching position with said latch portions, tab means on said overcap extending outwardly between said pair of catch means a distance less than the extension of said catch means whereby, to unseal said spout, both of said hinged to said wall portion and said latch portions are carried by said closure on the side: opposite to the side to which the overcap is hinged.

7. In a fluid dispensing device comprising a container having a narrowed neck portion and a primary closure attached to said container, said primary closure having a wall portion with a dispensing spout upwardly extending therefrom, a skirt portion depending from said wall portion and engaging with said neck portion of said container, a secondary closure having a plug means for sealing engagement in the spout, hinge means on said secondary closure and on said wall portion for hingingly mounting said secondary closure to said wall por' tion, and means for latching said secondary closure to said wall portion, said last named means comprising a pair of spaced apart members carried by said primary closure on a diametrically opposite side of said primary closure from said hinge means, said members having overhanging portions thereon, a pair of spaced apart catch means carried by-said secondary closure and extending into latching relation with said overhanging portions on said members, tab means on said secondary closure extending outwardly between said pair of catch means only a part of the outward extension of the catch means whereby, to unseal said secondary closure from said spout, both catch means must be disengaged from said members before the tab means can be lifted.

8. A safety closure for a container having'a spout, an overcap covering said spout, and means for holding said overcap in sealing engagement with respect to said spout, said means comprising stationary means carried by said container having a contacting surface, a pair of spaced apart means carried by said overcap and extending into engaging relationship with said stationary means, a pair of spring-like members connected to said spaced apart means, tab means on said overcap extending between said pair of spring-like members whereby to unseal said spout both of said spring-like members must be simultaneously deflected to misalign said spaced apart means from said stationary means. 

1. A primary safety closure having a spout carried by a wall portion integrally formed with a depending skirt portion, an overcap hinged to said wall portion and having a plug member for sealing engagement in said spout, and means for latching said overcap in said sealing engagement, said means comprising a pair of spaced apart latch portions carried by said wall portion, a pair of resilient spaced apart catch means carried by said overcap and extending into latching engagement with said latch portions, tab means on said overcap extending outwardly part way between said pair of catch means whereby to unseal said spout both of said catch means must be disengaged from said latch portions before the tab means can be urged upward with respect to said spout.
 2. A safety closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said latch portions are posts extending from said wall portion with each post having an overhanging lug.
 3. A safety closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each catch means comprises an arcuately shaped resilient portion connected at one end to the overcap and having projecting catch portions on the other end adapted to engage with one of said latch portions.
 4. A safety closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said latch portions are spaced apart an amount too wide for a child''s digit but just enough to permit an adult digit to bridge therebetween and to contact both catch portions at the same time.
 5. A safety closure for a container having a spout, an overcap having a plug for sealing engagement in said spout, said overcap being hingedly carried by said container adjacent said spout, and means for latching said overcap in said sealing engagement, said means comprising a pair of spaced apart projecting latch portions carried by said container, a pair of spaced apart catch means carried by said overcap and extending into latching position with said latch portions, tab means on said overcap extending outwardly between said pair of catch means a distance less than the extension of said catch means whereby, to unseal said spout, both of said catch means must be simultaneously disengaged from said latch portions before the tab means can be urged upward iNto unsealing relation with respect to said spout.
 6. A safety closure as claimed in claim 5 wherein said container has a restricted neck portion and said closure has a wall portion and a depending skirt portion with the skirt portion engaging the neck portion of the container and the wall portion having the spout upwardly projecting therefrom, and wherein said overcap is hinged to said wall portion and said latch portions are carried by said closure on the side opposite to the side to which the overcap is hinged.
 7. In a fluid dispensing device comprising a container having a narrowed neck portion and a primary closure attached to said container, said primary closure having a wall portion with a dispensing spout upwardly extending therefrom, a skirt portion depending from said wall portion and engaging with said neck portion of said container, a secondary closure having a plug means for sealing engagement in the spout, hinge means on said secondary closure and on said wall portion for hingingly mounting said secondary closure to said wall portion, and means for latching said secondary closure to said wall portion, said last named means comprising a pair of spaced apart members carried by said primary closure on a diametrically opposite side of said primary closure from said hinge means, said members having overhanging portions thereon, a pair of spaced apart catch means carried by said secondary closure and extending into latching relation with said overhanging portions on said members, tab means on said secondary closure extending outwardly between said pair of catch means only a part of the outward extension of the catch means whereby, to unseal said secondary closure from said spout, both catch means must be disengaged from said members before the tab means can be lifted.
 8. A safety closure for a container having a spout, an overcap covering said spout, and means for holding said overcap in sealing engagement with respect to said spout, said means comprising stationary means carried by said container having a contacting surface, a pair of spaced apart means carried by said overcap and extending into engaging relationship with said stationary means, a pair of spring-like members connected to said spaced apart means, tab means on said overcap extending between said pair of spring-like members whereby to unseal said spout both of said spring-like members must be simultaneously deflected to misalign said spaced apart means from said stationary means. 